Contact Us : 800.874.5346        International: +1 352.375.0772
Contact Us : 800.874.5346        International: +1 352.375.0772

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA)

VITA | How to and Why You Should
View our webinar for professors that explores and explains the VITA program.

Volunteering for VITA gives students hands-on training, a boost to their resume, excellent networking opportunities, and plenty of experience to add depth to their future interviews. Since VITA does not require a minimum amount of college credits, students can begin to reap these benefits as early as their Freshman or Sophomore years.

How do my students apply for the VITA program?

The VITA program provides big advantages for students

Accounting students, especially those interested in tax, should aim to complete the VITA program while they’re still in school. By completing the VITA program, students can

  • Get a head start on CPA Exam preparation and sit for the REG section first
  • Advertise tax specialization even if they become a CPA
  • Get a head start on earning their EA certification before graduating
  • Boost their resume regardless of their certification track
  • Increase their Big 4 recruiting value

Why your students should become Enrolled Agents (EAs)

Many students already know they want to prepare for the CPA exam and plan to become a CPA upon graduation. However, any student who participates in the student VITA volunteer program is also in a great position to become EA certified before they graduate.

The EA exam has no education requirements, but the level of exam questions and preparation they will be exposed to will help them get comfortable with what they will face when studying and sitting for the CPA Exam. This can boost pass rates and lower test anxiety when they do sit for the CPA exam. Additionally, the EA exam tests topics similar to those found on the REG section of the CPA exam, so students will be in a better position to succeed on that section of the exam.

The EA certification also gives your students many career advantages. Not only will they be able to include VITA Student Volunteer experience on their resume, they will also be able to showcase their EA designation and advertise their tax expertise. This will make them more attractive to top recruiters, especially at the Big 4 accounting firms, and help them begin earning a higher salary from the moment they begin their career.

Advising your students to prepare for the Enrolled Agent (EA) exam through VITA

Your students who are VITA volunteers will have a head start on preparing for Part 1 of the EA exam. We offer Part 1 of our digital book and Test Prep Online for free to student volunteers along with a cross-reference between EA topics and VITA exam topics so they can pass more quickly and easily. If they take Part 1 as they enter their senior year, when they will likely be taking their tax courses, their preparations for the exam will help them in their coursework, and studying for their coursework may help them prepare for the exam—greatly reducing preparation time for the EA exam. Fill out this quick form to request info and get your students set up with free EA Part 1 materials.

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    Gleim helps tax professors in the classroom

    Gleim Exam Prep offers an entire suite of exam prep products designed to empower your classroom, increasing your students’ coursework grades and certification exam pass rates.

    Gleim EA Review, CPA Review (REG), and Professor-Led Tools

    Supplement your course with a free deskcopy of Gleim EA Review or CPA Review and use our Assessment Quiz Tool to quickly and easily create, grade, and track homework, quizzes, and extra credit.

    Exam Questions and Explanations (EQE) for Tax

    Our undergraduate EQE series gives your students valuable exposure to exam-quality practice questions and provides highly detailed answer explanations for both correct and incorrect answers.

    Additional benefits to your students

    Some colleges and universities offer academic credit for the VITA program. Volunteer experience is also great all-around boost for their resumes. See our Student Page for more academic and career resources.

    How do my students apply for the VITA program?

    Your students can apply through a college course. If your university/college offers VITA courses for academic credit, your students will just need to enroll in the VITA course there.

    If your school doesn’t offer a VITA course students can also do one of the following:

    Join through the IRS

    Contact a VITA location